It Takes Two
by TheHungerGamesNerd327
Summary: This is my first fanfic. Please review and understand that I'm not a great writer, but I'm trying to get better! This is about Katniss and Peeta, and their life with their first child. Everything they went through to get there. It may be a little OOC, and probably doesn't follow most visions of a detailed Epilogue. Don't forget to review! Thank you for reading!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Katniss's POV_**  
**

'_It's been four years, Katniss, calm down. It's just Peeta, and your daughter. You can do this.'_ I think as I walk through the streets of District 12. It's been a little over four years since our daughter was born, and a little over four years since I left.

When I got pregnant I told myself I'd go through with it and I'd end up happy because Peeta was the father and with me every step of the way.

When she was born I had a mental breakdown, but I could have never told Peeta that. So, to protect him and our baby, I left. I left him to take care of her by himself, and today I'm going back to see him, and her.

As I walk into the bakery I call out, "Peeta? Peeta Mellark?" hoping he'd recognize my voice.

Thom, who Peeta had just hired before I left, walks out to greet me.

"Hello, welcome to the Mellark Bakery. How may I help yo-?" He asks stopping mid-sentence realizing who I am. "K-Katniss? Wh-what are you doing here?" He finishes frantically.

"Hi, Thom, nice to see you again. I came to see Peeta, is he in today?" I ask him nervously, switching my gaze from Thom to my hands.

"Yes, I-I.. I'll just go get him for you." He says pushing open the door to the kitchen.

A minute later he returns with Peeta following him. "Who would be here to see me Thom? I have a lot of orders to fill, and need to get back to work!" He says to Thom a little irritated.

Peeta looks up and his eyes catch mine, and he stops dead in his tracks. "K-Katniss? Wh-? Why?"

"I'm sorry, Peeta... I... I just came to talk to you. I-I.. I made a mistake, okay? I never should have left you. I never should have been gone from our daughter's life these past four years. I'm an idiot, just say it!" I yell at him, getting upset with myself for leaving.

"I-I… I can't, Katniss. You left. You left me alone with a newborn. You've missed the first four years of her life, her biggest moments! I don't know if I want to listen." He says, shaking his head and sighing. "I don't know if I can do it anymore."

"I just need you to listen to me, Peeta. Just listen. I want to see my daughter. I need to see my daughter," I explain, "I have nothing else anymore, Peeta. You don't know how hard these four years have been."

As I talk a little girl comes from the back room to Peeta, "Daddy? Can I have a cookie? I finished my lunch already," she asks with a big smile on her face, unaware I'm even in the room.

Peeta leans down and picks the girl up.

"Of course, Princess. Here," He says as he picks up a cookie decorated like a tiger-lily, Peeta's favorite flower.

"Thank you, Daddy! Now, let me down. I want to go play with my toys," she says squirming and pushing on his arm.

Peeta releases her and turns back to me. "There you saw her, now get out of my bakery. You don't deserve anything more than that. You left her before you even gave her a name, Katniss! How am I supposed to forgive that?"

"Peeta, please? Can I at least know what you named her? I'm her mom, I want to know." I beg, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Fine, Katniss. I named her Everdeen Rose Mellark, but I call her Rose. I couldn't call her Everdeen when you weren't around." he tells me as he sighs, and leans against the wall, like he used to when he was frustrated with me. "Everdeen, so she'd always have a part of you, and Rose after Primrose. I knew that you wanted to remember her in some way, so I guess her name is for you, but you never got to know until four years, later. "

"I-I… I had no idea, Peeta…" I say softly as tears flow from my eyes. "Thank you for naming her after me. It means a lot to me. It really does."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Katniss's POV_

"Shh.. Katniss.. I wanted to, she's just like you in so many ways.." Peeta says, walking over to me and instinctively wrapping his arms around me before quickly dropping them.

I look up at him, and sigh. "I'm sorry, Peeta.."

"Please leave my bakery.. She doesn't need to know who you are.. I'm not risking you hurting her." He walks back behind the counter. "I have to protect her, Katniss.. You know that."

I watch him closely. "Can I at least get a cheesebun? I've been craving them.." I ask him a little embarrassed.

Peeta nods and picks up a brown paper bag. He reaches into the display case and pulls a few out as I reach into my pocket for money.

I take the bag as he hands it over, and ask, "How much?"

He shakes his head and doesn't say a word. "How much, Peeta?" I ask him again.

"I've got it, Katniss.. Please just go.." He says getting a little nervous.

"You don't have to do that.. I can pay for what I buy from you, we aren't married anymore, Peeta.. You aren't obligated to.." I sigh and shove the money back into my pocket, as Everdeen runs back into the room pulling on his pant leg.

"Daddy, Daddy.. Can I color a picture?" She then notices he's not paying attention to her, he's staring at me. Her eyes fall on me and she smiles, and whispers to Peeta. "Daddy, who is that?"

I smile right back at her. _God, she looks just like Peeta. Those big blue eyes, her smile.. _"She's beautiful.." I whisper softly.

"Yes, she is. Thank you." He kneels down next to Everdeen. "Yes, you can color, Eve. And that's.. That's.. Katniss.. A friend of Daddy's from a while ago.." He lifts her up, and she keeps looking at me.

"Hi, Miss Katniss. I'm Everdeen, but Daddy calls me Eve.." She smiles brightly at me, and I can't help but match the intensity. I'm seeing my baby girl truly for the first time.

"Hi, there Eve.. You're such a beautiful little girl.. And you look just like your daddy.." I walk over to the counter.

Peeta sighs and carries her over to the table in the corner, grabbing his spare pad of paper and a box of crayons from one of the cabinets on his way. "Here you go, Sweetheart.. You can draw whatever you'd like and I'll hang it on the wall over there, okay?"

She nods excitedly and gets to work. "There. You even got to talk to her.. Leave. Please, Katniss.. I can't do this.. She's going to get hurt again."

It takes all I am to hold back the tears. "I won't hurt her, Peeta. I could never hurt her, you know that. " I close my eyes and take a deep breath nervously.

"I'm moving back to 12, Peeta.. I can't take it anymore." I open and look at him.

He shakes his head no. "How can I believe you? What reason do I have to believe you aren't lying? I don't even know where you've been, Katniss! And it's KILLED me inside.."

"I'm sorry, Peeta.. I'm so sorry.." Tears fall from my eyes, and I instantly look at my feet. "You want to know where I've been? Well, I went to 7 to live with Johanna, but a few days after being there, her lovely new husband, someone I haven't seen in over 15 years, my former best friend, came home, and I couldn't take it!"

I take another deep breath and look up at him. "Katniss.." I shake my head.

"I left, and went to 4.. To see if I could stay with Annie.. But Jr. looks so much like Finnick, and I reminded her of the war, it was too much for her to handle. And she broke down."

He nods. "I'm sorry that happened.. But it still doesn't change much.."

It takes all I am not to start sobbing. "I also stayed with my mom.. For about 3 years.. Up until recently.." I close my eyes so I don't cry.

_I can't cry. I can't show him how weak I am without him. He doesn't need to know that I'm a mess._

Peeta gets a confused look on his face, and says, "Until recently? What happened to your mom, Katniss?"

"Sh-She.. She.. She's gone, Peeta.." I lower my voice to a whisper. "She's dead." After choking out those words I burst into tears.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Hunger Games. **

**Chapter 3**

_Peeta's POV_

_What the hell? Why is Katniss in my bakery?! She left me, and she hurt me.. But worst of all she left our newborn daughter! _

I'm standing here telling Katniss she can't see Everdeen, but of course she comes out from the extra room in the back.

I give her a cookie and send her back, Katniss will never meet her. Not yet at least. I don't trust her enough.

"There you saw her. Now get out of my bakery. You don't deserve anything more than that. You left her before you could even give her a name, Katniss! How am I supposed to forgive that?!" I snap at her.

Why am I being so rude? This is Katniss, the only woman I've ever loved, my wife, the mother of my beautiful little girl.

"Can I at least know her name if you won't let me see her?" Katniss begs me. I did name her in her honor. Fine I'll tell her.

"Her name is Everdeen Rose Mellark. After you.. And in honor of your sister." Why am I telling her all this? She doesn't deserve it.

I take a deep breath as Katniss tears up and tears fall down her cheeks. I want more than anything to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be better, but I can't. Not yet.

She sobs harder and I instinctively step around the counter and hold her in my arms. Once I realize what I was doing I drop my arms quickly and step back.

"Can I at least have a cheesebun? I've been craving them." She asks me as blush fills her face. My Katniss, she's still in there. The one who loves my cheesebuns, who loves me, and is so beautiful when she blushes.

As I hand Katniss the cheesebuns I put in a bag, Eve comes back again. "Daddy? Who is that?" She pulls on my pants leg and whispers when I didn't acknowledge her.

"That's Katniss. One of my old friends.. From a long time ago.." I pick her up and kiss her cheek.

Katniss smiles softly and her tears stop, "She's beautiful, Peeta." Doesn't she understand that I know that? That she looks just like her?

I let Eve go color her picture at the table in the front room, and I talk to Katniss for a while. She tells me about where she has been, and how I'm not sure I can trust her.

At least she hasn't been with Gale, who's apparently now married to.. Johanna of ALL people.. And Annie.. Poor Annie couldn't handle the flashbacks, and memories.

Katniss says she stayed with her mother, but she couldn't finish what she was saying. "Until recently? What happened to your mom, Katniss?" I ask her, a little harshly.

"She's.. She's.. Gone. She's gone, Peeta.." Her voice is a whisper now. "She's dead."

"Kat.. Sweetheart.. I'm so sorry.. I know how you feel, it's a terrible feeling." I walk over to her and hug her tightly, and wipe her tears. "I'm sorry I've been so rude today.. You just surprised me, I never thought I'd see you again."


End file.
